Tuesday 15 September 2015

Electrocution: our new nemesis


A few months ago, we wouldn't have been having this discussion about electrocutions; not because we didn't have live wires lying all over, but because they were hardly ever powered. In fact, there used to be a joke about spreading your wet clothes on these high tension wires and having nothing to worry about. 

As I listened to the front page review a few days ago, I heard about a first-class accounting student of UNILAG that was electrocuted when a high-tension wire fell on her. While ruminating about the students' protest that ensued and their demand for a 'ransome' for the deceased parents ( I suppose the UNILAG  S.U.G president meant a compensation and not a ransome, after all she wasn't kidnapped), I read online that the driver of a truck was electrocuted in front of Jakande Estate when his high truck came in contact with a high tension wire.  
If you've seen these trucks, you'll know that they always have long poles with which they raise these wires and they had nothing to worry about as these wires were never powered.



 My heart goes out to the families of the deceased but i'd like to remind the public that as we have all been experiencing, this is a new era; every act of electrical escapades that we have hitherto engaged in should stop. 

It's not news that people get ladders and climb up the electric poles to reconnect their building to power supply after PHCN has disconnected them. Please, if you have attempted such in the past or know a local electrician in the neighbourhood that plays the role of a PHCN engineer, remind him that Nigeria is Changing, Buhari is working, PHCN is moving!

Dear PHCN officials, please, please and please, we know that this change seems sudden and drastic, but help us upgrade the system. High-tension wires and poles shouldn't be falling off or lying low.



It's a New Dawn Nigeria. I can't remember the last time I charged my power bank cause electricity supply has been constant. My colleague says she can't remember the last time she bought fuel for her generator. And yet some people still believe PMB is ' baba go slow'.
I wonder what would happen if PMB decided to go on the fast track!



Friday 28 August 2015

Happy Mba Months!

Awesome, Christmas is around the corner! 
This also means the 'ember ' months are right at the door.
Soon, posters and fliers  of special ember season promos will flood our phones, pages and streets.
Religious centers will churn out prayer points binding the blood-sucking, accident-thirsty ember spirits


You can click the link below to get my thoughts about this tradition which I posted this time last year.


ba-ba-ember-months.

While folks are dealing with the ember spirits, I'll be indulging the MBA mode.
MBA means NO in the igbo dialect.

You see, August was my cheat month. I broke all my healthy-living rules. 
Feasted on plantain chips like I just hit a jackpot, had a bottle of carbonated artificial drink and didn't workout at the gym at all! 
I also didn't stick to my budget for spending, neither did I stick to my daily schedule.  
In short, I ignored all the rules I set for myself in the month of August and I enjoyed doing so. 

But like everything in life, causes have effects, actions have consequences and so, my face is riddled with pimples, my account isn't smiling, I have gained an extra KG or two and I am back to ground zero in terms of being disciplined enough to follow a schedule.  

So, in my MBA months, I shall be saying NO to the same things I said yes to this month : plantain chips, compulsive eating and spending, excuses that lure me away  from the gym, and activities that crop up unannounced. 

I might not attain 100% success in the first month but I intend to be consistent in these MBA months; which is why I have told the world my plan.
The thought of people watching out for my success or failure should keep my eyes on the prize.

Dear friend, as we approach the ember months, instead of just casting out demons, try saying No to drinking before or while driving. Say NO to impulsive spending no matter how appealing that item is. Say NO to the adrenaline rush encouraging you to break the speed limit. Say No to those friends that encourage you to indulge in that self-destructive habit. 

I love Christmas! I love the yuletide season! The lights, ornaments, carols, gifts, and euphoria! 

Yippee Christmas is almost here

Happy MBA month folks 

Saturday 22 August 2015

Is your kid an orphan?

Yesterday, I met a girl, less than 2 years whose parents noticed her unexplainable awareness of her vagina. She always moved away whenever they attempted to clean that area while bathing her, so they got worried and came to the clinic.
After examination we realised that this young girl that couldn't even coherently express herself yet had been sexually abused. 

Of course, we got the usual reaction : shock, denial, despair, anger, rage, disbelief, horror bla bla bla.

As we tried to ask the father further questions about his daughter's daily activities and upkeep, we realised the most annoying thing: this man didn't know the name of his daughter's creche  or after school care centre! He had to call his wife to find out!



Though I was livid, I comported myself and behaved like the professional I am. 
Believe me, if I had my way, I would have given the guy a piece of my mind; but then I would be missing a portion of my mind by now if I did so.

Here's the gist:

With the rate of sexual abuse sky rocketing and the number of child victims increasing these days, couples need to sit down and decide if they know and have what it takes to be a parent.

You see majority of the victims and culprits have one thing in common : ' a deficient home'.

Being a parent isn't synonymous with being able to donate a sperm or contribute an egg to the formation of an embryo;
It also goes beyond possessing the ability to provide a home and good education for your offsprings.
No sir!

Being a parent is a role that requires commitment, availability, responsibility, preparedness and a lot of resources ( financial, mental, emotional etc). 



I mean, I am not a parent ( yet) but with the things I have read, heard and seen in the past one year, i know that parenting isn't something you go into because ' it's the next step'. 

You need to count the cost before you begin this journey ( even the bible warns about not going to war if you are not sure about your resources) . 
You may say ' but parenting isn't war' - true. But parenting is synonymous with building a life and that same scripture warns against starting a building project without checking your treasury first!


A friend said that a lot of kids are orphans even though their parents aren't 6 feet below yet, and I agree with him. 

Please folks, get involved in your child's life. Be their friend, gain their confidence, watch out for them. Your work or ambition shouldn't take you away from their lives.  

Too many predators are out there lurking, ready to pounce on your kids while you aren't watching. And the bitter truth is that statistics have shown thatt over 90 percent of these predators are people you know, in fact your kids refer to most of them as ' uncle ' and 'Aunty '.



Please let's reduce the statistics of child sexual abuse by becoming more responsible in our parenting role. 
God forbid that the next child I see in my clinic with a similar story is your daughter or son; but God has given you this responsibility, take it as you take your job - SERIOUSLY!!!

Remember: 'your child needs your presence more than your presents' .

Sunday 9 August 2015

The Stigma called " The Girl Child"

I know you must be alarmed by the topic of my article but hear me out.
I was born into a community of people I have come to know as my family. If you have met the whole clan called THE BANADOGS, you'll agree that we are more than the western definition of an extended family.

My whole family, however isn't the focus of this write up, that will probably be for another day.
I'ld like to refer to my nuclear family instead.


You see, my mum is the typical ' Mamabongirls'.
She gave birth to 4 girls (I'm the 3rd) and on the naming ceremony of my younger sister, one of my aunts actually taunted and harassed her for having a girl 'again'.


My mum was severely stigmatised for having 4 girls and she bore this pain for a long time.
Looking back, I believe that she tried and did her best to give her girls the best because of the sneers and snorts.


Whenever my mum has to summarize her experience, she says ' God compensated me by giving me 3 Medical Doctors and an Economist '. I
heard her say this again this afternoon and the activist in me got angry! 
For God's sake giving birth to a girl isn't something that needs divine compensation!  
A girl child isn't more or less than a male child and vice versa. 
We have been tagged weak and helpless for so long, its appalling!
A person is weak not because of her phenotype but because she has agreed to be weak!
A man is successful not because he has a Y chromosome, but because he decided to be successful against all odds!


Mother Theresa was a stronger vessel than most men despite her petite stature,
Margaret Thatcher put several men to flight at the sound of her voice,
Abimbola Ogunleye became a global advocate for children despite her XX chromosomes!

If you are in this age and time and believe that a particular sex is more advantaged than the other then you need a spank in the butt or a plank on the head to wake you up! Smell the coffee dude!

Gone are the days when a man's excuse for polygamy is a male child! If you must marry another wife, please look for a logical excuse or better still, keep your excuse to yourself.


History has proven repeatedly that your phenotype isn't an advantage or a disadvantage ; we have had successful men and women, evil men and women, tyrants in skirts and trousers alike. 

Dear Miss/Ms/Mrs, if you have fit into the mold of the weaker vessel that the society has carved out for the female all your life, please smash it and fit into the one God designed for you!
 I am no weaker than I accept to be.
I am who I am not because I am a woman, but because I am me, made in the image of the Almighty.


Stop the stigmatisation of the ' Mamabongirls'
Stop treating the XX chromosome like an anomaly! 




Thursday 2 July 2015

Disease Alert!

I'ld like to bring to your attention a disease that has been recently named. ‎
It's called Irojulotitis caused by the organism Irojulococus


Etymology:
Irojulococus derives it's name from the Yoruba root word IROJU‎.
‎ It's a concept that makes people settle for what is convenient at the expense of what is beneficial.
‎‎

Irojulococus affects every aspect of our lives from how we eat to what we eat to how we make money. ‎
‎It affects everything and is one of the causative agents of procrastination‎.
‎Irojulococus is fast and easy but it also fast tracks deadly diseases and disastrous outcomes with ease


Irojulococus makes you defer writing the proposal now; hinders you from making the call now; impedes you from showing up where you volunteered your services.‎


Irojulococus makes you give up easily and makes you a local champion leading blind people,
Irojulococus leads to shortcuts that cuts short.
It conditions you to make excuses your best buddy and assumptions and guessing your bedmates.


Irojulococus would never allow you think or study. It wants what it wants without effort and where it embraces effort it forbids an extra mile.

Irojulococus makes you scorn folks who have results instead of going to ask how they have gone global.

This Irojulococus is also a comforter and a justifier.
It tells you 'God will do what He will do'
'If its God's will it shall be done'; and when it's not done he says 'it's not His will for me'!


With Irojulococus Thomas Edison would have given up on incandescent lamp;‎
Bill Gates would have settled down with windows 95;‎
Mark Zuckerberg would have sold Facebook when 1billion dollars was offered while he struggled to pay salaries.‎


Irojulococus prefers to listen to others and would never fact find anything.
Irojulococus settles for what is displayed on the screen in church than carry a personal bible.
Irojulococus gets excited at 7 steps to...... and 10 ways to........
It looks for more 'easiest ways' when it doesn't work.

Meet someone suffering from Irojulococus and his first question will be: 'what is the easiest way out? '

Irojulococus never blames himself for any adverse situation, instead he manufactures a non existing spirit and heaps the blame on it


Irojulococus greatest inventions are names of spirits responsible for everything

Some of its inventions include;
Ember spirit
Spirit husband
Ancestral spirits
Poverty spirit
Spirit of favour
Spirit of break though
My pastors grace
Spirit of marital delay
Spirit of traffic etc


In short any spirit willing to take the blame off!

In case this organism is already feasting in your system, not to worry.‎
‎Today is another day to start the process of getting rid of it and trust me there is no single drug that can flush it out at once!  It's a process.


Start the process;
Find someone to hold you accountable and tell you the truth and if possible push you; 

Avoid excuses; follow through till it becomes what you saw in your mind; never settle for less (if you saw a billion never settle for 100million)
Appreciate Irojulococus for how far it has led you and let it go its way today.

Written by PF.



Monday 22 June 2015

Little Explorers!

I was on call a few weeks ago when a 3-year old boy who had ingested 10 capsules of Indomethacin ( popularly called Indocid in this part of Nigeria) was rushed into the ER!
I was angry and felt like scolding the parents, but my first priority was this cute child, so I got working! And he survived, just like the 2-year old boy that drank Kerosene a week earlier.

However, a 2-year old girl wasn't that lucky! She was rushed in dead because she drank Snipper, a poisonous substance used to kill pests like rats and cockroaches. Angrily, I held back tears; another preventable death- If only her caregivers were careful and vigilant!




Dear parents, caregivers and readers, we owe our little ones the responsibility of keeping them safe and this includes keeping the environment safe.


Poisoning amongst kids is almost never intentional: most times, it's an accident!
Once a child can move about ( either by crawling or walking), they become explorers; they are curious and their mouth is the first place they put ALL things because according to Freud, they are in the oral stage of development. They don't know better!

But you do!



Here are a few tips to keep your environment poison proof:

Store medicine, cleaning and laundry products (including detergent packets), paints/varnishes and pesticides in their original packaging in locked cabinets or containers, out of sight and reach of children.
Safety latches that automatically lock when you close a cabinet door can help keep children away from dangerous products, but there is always a chance the device will malfunction. The safest place to store poisonous products is somewhere a child can’t reach.  



Purchase and keep all medicines in containers with safety caps and keep out of reach of children. Discard unused medication. Note that safety caps are designed to be child-resistant but are not fully child-proof.
Never refer to medicine as “sweet or candy” or another appealing name.
Check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. For liquid medicines, use the dosing device that came with the medicine‎.

Do not place poisonous products in food or drink containers.
Keep coal, wood or kerosene stoves in safe working order.


And if you realise that your child might have ingested anything harmful, PLEASE DON'T TRY TO INDUCE VOMITING!
RUSH THE CHILD TO A HOSPITAL!

Remember that your child doesn't know better, but you should!

I hate to see kids die! It's unacceptable and can be prevented.


#Keepthechildsafe! ‎ 

Friday 19 June 2015

365 days plus 3!

It has to be Love


As I defied the rain and waded in dirty muddy waters from the Mpape slum, I asked myself what I was really doing.
It had to be love. That's the only explanation for this action.
After being coated in dust from the sand storm and drenched in rain from the showers that followed suit; after standing, freezing at the bus stop as the heavens let down her drops and drops of rain, I went back home to dry my dreadlocks  and change my wet clothes. 
And then headed out!  Again!
And oops I left my umbrella at home. So the drizzle after the storm found solace in me.
'Is this job really worth this?' I asked myself. Do my patients deserve this sacrifice? Should I be doing so much ( especially since I haven't been paid in the last 3 months)? Won't my patients survive in my absence? 
Will there be Chaos if I don't show up at work today? 
And I realised that even though I had not been paid for 3 months and even though there were other health workers that could attend to the patients, I did all I did cause I love what I do! 
I love my Job. I love being a medical doctor. I love saving lives, informing people, enlightening them, comforting them, making them feel better.
It has to be love for what I do.
 Cause otherwise, it doesn't make sense to go through all I went through today just to get to a job where my employers love to hold back what's rightfully mine. 



Exactly 368 days ago, I started publishing my musings and rants on this blog!
And this was my first official post! 
It's a year already and a lot has changed.

I'm back in my Lasgidi that I so love doing what I love to do and discovering more things about myself. 

I rant less now, and thus I publish less on the blog. But all that's about to change. 
In the place of ranting and venting and reacting i'll be sharing what I keep discovering as I take on the world. 

You'll be shocked at what lies out there free of charge that we do not know about and hence never utilise or under utilise! 

I am excited that B8's Soliloquies is a year! 
I am more excited about the coming posts!  


Bolu and Toba, your sabbatical break as my editor is over!  Get ready to do some more editing!  

Thank you guys for your comments and nice words!

Let's do this more often!

Monday 13 April 2015

A Year after, yet we hope!


Initially, the government abandoned them and denied that they were ever abducted;
then they raised a fact-finding committee that confirmed (after about a week) what the people already knew: more than 270 school girls were kidnapped and majority was missing!


Then the government resisted being questioned and being reminded, they attacked the campaign group that ensured the school girls were not swept under the carpet like their brothers that were massacred in their dormitory a few weeks before.
They called them names, threatened and harassed them and tagged them psychological terrorists!







Thereafter, they made promises and claims over and over again- they would rescue them, they knew were they were! They even lied and announced that they had rescued our sisters, only for them to dash our hopes and refute their claims.

We had our fears from the beginning!
We feared that our sisters would be forgotten by their government;
We feared that we would not see them again;
We feared that our sisters will be defiled by evil men and made to face untold hardship and wickedness;
We feared that on the 14th of April of subsequent years, we would commemorate their abduction and the f
ailure of our government!
We feared, yet we hoped.




We hoped that their case would be different,  that the government will rise up to the occasion and become responsible for them:
We hoped that we would sit at the table with our sisters again:
We hoped that together, we would help each other heal from this gruesome experience:
We hoped that our sisters would someday tell us their stories and celebrate how they survived the hellish moments:
We hoped that our sisters would return to their schools and gain the education they so desired.

And yet we hope, even as we commemorate their first year post - abduction.

We hope that it will mark a new dawn for our Chibok sisters.
We hope that they will come back to us alive and well.



Today, I ask that if you haven't been praying for our Chibok sisters, please do so.
Their only crime was to go to school, and it could have been any of us.

Thursday 9 April 2015

The Nigerian Factor

For the first time on this page, I will feature a guest. 
He is a concerned Parent and citizen who poured out his heart after hearing about the Kidnap of 3 siblings by a maid in Lagos yesterday. 
It's longer than my usual posts, but i promise you, it's a worthy piece. 







THE MISSING SURULERE KIDS AND THE NIGERIAN FACTOR.



The News has become boring these days as it ends up leaving us heartbroken irrespective of how stone hearted an individual  may be.
 Sadly that is the world we find ourselves living in , where human lives mean next to nothing to fellow humans. How did we ever get here?
From ISIS in the middle east, to Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al Shabab in Kenya, to trigger happy & excited cops in the US.
May God help us all.

However, in all of these cold blooded killings & evil happenings all over the world, the most heartbreaking ones has to be the ones that involves kids, innocent kids whose only crime is that they were born into this world at such a  time when bloodshed is the order of the day for some sects.
 We have failed them as a generation, and as if that is not bad enough, they now suffer and partake of the sins of their fathers/ past generation.



First to come to mind are the (STILL) missing Chibok girls that drew international attention and yet as we speak, the girls are STILL  missing, unbelievably it’s a year already. More sadly,is the fact that we ,i.e. most of us that are not directly affected, are forgetting already.

 THE NIGERIAN FACTOR. * we forget too soon*.


In a normal society/ country, those girls would not only have been adequately protected, they would have been found hours after the kidnap and they would not have been forgotten so soon.
It is bad enough that these evils happen. However what makes it worse, scary and indeed hopeless is the fact that its happening in a country where security of lives and property is a function of your financial status and what security you can afford for yourself and loved ones. The common man in Nigeria is left at the mercy of God.

 THE NIGERIAN FACTOR. * adequate security is meant for the rich and the rich alone* .


Back to the recent missing Surulere kids. I took a last glance at my phone last night before going to bed & saw like 5 BBM broadcast messages from different contacts all over the world as far as the UK and Canada about 3 kids that have gone missing in Surulere, Lagos Nigeria.
I normally do not engage in sending broadcasts (at least not in the past 3 years), however, I could not see myself sleeping or finding sleep knowing that 3 innocent kids, ages 6yrs, 4 yrs and 11 months are probably in the custody of some blood thirsty ritualists in some thick forest, or perhaps being sold off by some mean devil incarnates.
No way would I close my eyes to sleep knowing that it could happen to anybody, me inclusive.



 I looked beside me and there was my 3 year oldand my 2 month old daughters  fast asleep, both of them knowing they are in the safe hands of daddy and mummy. No I just could not sleep.
I sent the BBM broadcast, if it was the least I could do, said a prayer for the safety of the kids and went to bed hoping to wake up to some good news that the kids have been found, hale and hearty.
That was not going to happen anyway, as I woke up this morning to the news that they have been found somewhere in shagamu & later came in a counter news that it is false and they are still missing.


 THE NIGERIAN FACTOR. * we are quick to spread unnecessary, false rumors irrespective of the sensitivity of the subject matter*

Now this brings me to the whole essence of this write-up. The Nigerian factor.
In a sane country/ society, those kids and their story would make front cover of most ( if not all ) Dailies this morning 9th April 2015. they will also probably be all over the news on TV stations; all policemen & security personnel nationwide would be on red alert for any sign of the kids and infact all kids would be double checked.
However, the search of these innocent kids have been left solely to the social media and concerned Nigerians like you and I who can actually actually relate to what the poor parents of these kids could be passing though at a time like this. Twitter retweets, BBM broadcasts and facebook have been the major search platforms in over 24 hours since the disappearance of these kids.




THE NIGERIAN FACTOR. * we do not have value for lives, old or young* only the rich and influential gets the best of attention.

I just could not stop asking myself if these kids were kids of a top government official, let's say a senator or a governor or even a honorable in the house of assembly. I am very positive the search would have enjoyed wider coverage, been more intense and yielded results.

THE NIGERIAN FACTOR INDEED. *sigh*.


My initial reaction when I read through the broadcast about the missing kids was: 'How on earth would the parents leave 3 kids with a maid that just resumed work the previous day?'
 However, just as I was about to blame the parents for negligence and start feeling like a saint, I quickly remembered I was almost a victim too and truly it could happen to anyone.

I had my second daughter 2 months ago & due to work pressure on both my wife and I (we are both bankers), She had to resume work just as my baby turned 7 weeks. We did not have any help and contemplated her resignation at some point as our only option was either that or to hire a nanny and probably fix a nanny cam in the house (yes, to avoid a repeat of the Ugandan evil maid story). It was at this point, my dear mum inlaw showed up for “omugwo” and salvaged the situation.

We were lucky to have my mum in-law come to the rescue, but how many couples out there have such luxury? How many couple/ families out there are left at the mercy of maids and nannies?
This I see as a result of inconsiderate, harsh working conditions in the country.

 THE NIGERIAN FACTOR.

In some developed societies and their companies, nursing mothers get up to 6, 9 months and even a year of maternity leave. And not only that, certain companies, offices are mandated to have crèches, nurseries for nursing mothers.

I do not know the full story, but I want to believe that if the mother of these 3 kids had the option of keeping her kids in her office nursery or crèche now that schools are out of session, she would not have left her kids in the hands of a maid. (same thing I would have been forced to do 2 weeks ago).
 It is NEVER a wise decision / option to leave
kids in the hands of maids. NEVER. They will always remain what they truly are, STRANGERS. Irrespective of the number of years they might have lived with you or how close/ fond of you or your kids they have become. DO NOT BE DECEIVED.

My prayer is that before I am done with this sad write-up, that these poor kids would have been found, safe and in good health.
Like I pointed out earlier, let us all pray for their safety, after all, that’s all their parents can afford in a country like ours. Prayers.

THE NIGERIAN FACTOR.

Olumide Akinlawon.
Concerned Parent.



Friday 3 April 2015

The Real Change

 I was more apprehensive over the past few days,than I had ever been in my entire life! Not even when I was awaiting the release of our Final MB in Medical School did I feel so much tension! 
It was a different experience and I am glad I was part of the whole process!

We all agree that this is the dawn of a new Nigeria. I don't need to reiterate the point that various bloggers and commentators have made very obvious to the public.





While we celebrate the advent of a New Nation with such high expectations about the leadership of General Buhari and Prof Osibajo, I would like to take us down a different trail.

We have clamoured for change, we have voted for change, and in less than 2 months, the change we asked for will be institutionalised.

But have we ever asked what CHANGE really means?
Are we ready for what is about to befall this nation?

I wonder if a people so used to indiscipline and anarchy will embrace discipline and order just like that.
I wonder if  has sunk into the subconscious of the average Nigerian what change really means.





Change means discipline,
Change means obeying laws, rules and regulations,
Change means staying on queues,
Change means proper disposal of waste,

Change means not urinating in inappropriate places,
Change means not cutting corners,
Change means getting employed based on your performance and not on who you know,
Change means respecting constituted authority,
Change means proper handling of the Naira,
Change means an end to money laundering,
Change means accepting responsibility,

Change means a lot more than I have listed, and by now you should have realised that it's not the General that will keep us on queues or help me dispose waste properly; it's our job.
We are the change that we have clamoured for!
It begins with you and I.







We must be ready to be the change that we want to see.
I believe in the General's ability to lead us on this path, but we must be willing to co-operate with him and be followers that are ready to embrace change.

We have started the process, we must sustain this process and together, build the Nigeria of our dreams:
A Nigeria where fools will no longer become celebrities nor crooks be rewarded with fame;
A Nigeria where the King will reign in Righteousness, and the rulers rule with justice.
A Nigeria that will be exalted by our right actions!
God bless Nigeria



Sidenote:
What does Change mean to you?
I would like to know, please type it as a comment. 
Thank you

Thursday 12 March 2015

Another Lie?

I strongly believe that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , Goodluck Ebele Jonathan needs to take a very close look at the people that form his inner caucus , especially those involved in his re-election bid. I believe that amongst them are saboteurs who will stop at nothing to show his incompetence and wash the dirty linen of his government in the public!
If this is not so, how does one explain the series of ill-advised statements, events and activities embarked upon by the Federal Government in recent times?

The most recent being the lie about having a phone conversation with the Monarch of Morocco!
I really don't understand.

Morocco Denies False Allegations About Alleged Phone Conversation Between HM The King, Nigerian President

Morocco is surprised at the incredible twist given by Nigeria to an alleged phone conversation that never took place between HM King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President, the King’s Office said Tuesday.
The King’s Office categorically denies the false allegations made by Nigerian authorities about an alleged phone conversation between the Sovereign and Nigerian President, the King’s Office said in a statement.

STATEMENT TWO
Contrary to the allegations made by Nigerian authorities to the ambassador of HM the King in Abuja and local media, the Kingdom of Morocco confirms, in the clearest and strongest terms, that there has never been a phone conversation between HM King Mohammed VI and the President of this country”, the ministry pointed out in a statement.

HM the King has actually declined the request of the Nigerian government because it is part of the internal electioneering and this country’s fundamentally hostile positions with regard to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom,” the statement said.
The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its astonishment and denunciation to these unethical practices that are contrary to the spirit of responsibility that must prevail in relations between States”, the ministry added.

Accordingly, the Kingdom of Morocco has decided the immediate recall of the ambassador of HM the King in Abuja for consultation”, the statement concluded.



Why should the Nigerian brand be synonymous with lies, shame, fraud or lack of integrity? 

The late Prof Dora Akunyili was very particular about rebranding Nigeria before she passed on, yet the same government that supported her efforts is working hard at maintaining the Status Quo.

It's a pity that the Federal Government got tired of fabricating stories and achievements within our shores, and decided to involve other countries. Unfortunately, unlike most of their alibis, Morocco isn't game.

Dear FG, please leave other countries out of your Faux pas
It's very embarrassing for me as a compatriot of our dear country.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

No Failures, only Feedbacks



One of the toughest tasks I have embarked upon is trying to understand an average Nigerian Politician. 

I have often discredited majority of them because they have proven times without number that they are only interested in their own affairs and nothing more. 

A few bags of rice here and there, several rendezvous of lies and promises that we all know can be summarized as " story for the gods", hysteric moments of jubilation and display of eloquence ( by the few gifted ones) and anything acceptable to gain them the votes of the people.

It is amazing how they never give up! I mean our politicians keep cross carpeting like a mother changes her child's diaper!
This particularly infuriates me, but in my fury, I have learnt a lesson.

Our Politicians have exemplified the statement' there are no failures, only feedbacks'


Take General Muhammad Buhari for instance; he has tried several times to win the trust and the votes of the electorates and has failed every time he tried.
I hear a lot of people commenting and asking questions like" haba, na only him? Wetin he dey look for Sef? He no dey tire?"
Folks, truly successful men no dey tire o! 
And it seems his persistence might pay off this time, because he is giving GEJ and the PDP a good run for their power.

Thomas Edison ( the guru that we all have to thank for the electric bulb and many more inventions that have made telecommunication possible today) said that " I have not failed, I have only found 10,000 ways that won't work!"; Michael Jordan said " I failed over and over again in Life and that is why I succeeded "



I could keep on quoting world famous successful men, but I know that you also have a story of persistence that eventually paid off. 

Here's the gist, when we view our results as failures, we become discouraged to try again; if however we see our results as feedbacks, we'll pick the lessons and be eager to give it another try some other way.

The fear of failing has cost a lot of us our victories, a lot of dreams have remained dreams because we dread the pangs of failure.



I see no failures henceforth, only feedbacks. 
If at first You try and do not succeed, I'll advise that you dust it off, pick the valuable lessons and keep trying. 

Winston Churchill said that Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm . 

So like our Nigerian Politicians, may we never give up, like GMB, may we learn lessons from our feedbacks and may we always do what we are afraid to do!